


Whatever Comes Our Way

by Dreamshaper, maschinenmensch



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Biker!Holtz, F/F, There will be fluff, and Professor!Erin, and SMUT, and a bit of angst because we are who we are, what could go wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-10-27 06:15:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10803441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper, https://archiveofourown.org/users/maschinenmensch/pseuds/maschinenmensch
Summary: Attempting to cheer her best friend up after a bad break-up, Abby takes Erin to Pride. Neither of them has the slightest idea how this will change Erin's life, all thanks to a certain blonde on a bike.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Elder Holtzbro here, out of the cave known as "so many fic ideas, too little time." Hopefully that will be rectified shortly.
> 
> Anyway, this is what happens when Dreamshaper and I have a discussion one day of all the attractive ladies we've seen riding motorcycles in Pride Parades. Of course it led to this. Of course.
> 
> This is more our usual fare - humor (smut), angst (Smut) and a tad of fluff (SMUT).
> 
> It's smutty. Sorry not sorry ;)

“I’m still not sure this is a good idea”, Erin mumbled, fidgeting nervously as she looked herself over in the mirror once more; her outfit wasn’t that different from her usual attire, a tweed skirt and a white button-up blouse, but the blouse was a bit tighter than what she normally wore, giving quite the good view of her breasts, something her best friend only increased by opening the two top buttons.

“Of course it is”, said best friend claimed, giving her a critical look and nodding, clearly satisfied with how the physicist looked, “come on, it’ll be fun.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm and your willingness to help, Abby, I really do”, Erin told her, fingers twitching as she fought the urge to button up, knowing Abby would scold her and open the buttons again, “but… Pride? Isn’t that a bit… much?”

“No, it’s perfect”, Abby insisted, smiling brightly at her friend, “if we run into someone from Columbia, we can easily make up some excuse which won’t out you to anyone, and maybe you’ll meet someone! Also, you deserve to have some fun after that past week.”

Said week indeed had been hard on Erin, and not just work-wise; not only had she been awfully busy at Columbia, but also, after weeks of constant bickering and fighting, had broken up with her boyfriend, finally having had enough of his behaviour, and even though Abby had tried to hide her joy for Erin’s sake, she had easily been able to tell that her best friend had been quite happy about the break-up, after weeks during which she had repeatedly told Erin that this relationship wasn’t good for her and that the man wasn’t treating her right.

And with Pride coming up, Abby had taken the chance given, telling Erin that she had to get her mind off of work, her ex and her troubles and that a fun event like Pride would be just the right thing to accomplish that; she knew that she was the only person who knew about Erin being bisexual, the physicist tearfully having come out to her during their college days, and she wasn’t quite sure Erin would ever dare to actually act on any attraction she might feel for another woman, but she was eager to be supportive, and figured that taking her friend to Pride would be one way to show her support.

“If you really have no fun, we can go home and get drunk”, Abby offered, giving Erin an option to back out, should it become too much, “but at least give it a try?”

“Fine”, Erin agreed with a weak smile, knowing Abby only had her best interests in mind; Abby beamed back at her, then said “shall we, then?”, and bravely, Erin nodded, even though her palms were getting sweaty already when she followed Abby out the door.

She told herself that it would be okay, and going to Pride wouldn’t automatically out her to all of Columbia; she wasn’t ashamed of being bisexual, but was all too aware of how conservative people at the university could be, and the last thing she wanted and needed was to have the people she had to work with daily look at her with contempt or judgement, for something she hadn’t chosen and had no control over.

Steeling herself, she told herself she could do this, that she was an adult who could handle being at Pride; still she was nervous, and that feeling only grew when Abby and she got out of the subway and made their way back to the surface, only to immediately end up in a mass of people.

Erin felt Abby take a gentle, but somewhat firm hold of her arm, making sure they wouldn’t lose each other in the crowd; they could hear the music from the parade floats, and, following that sound, made their way to the front of the crowd, where they would have a good view of the waggons driving by.

Even though she still was nervous, Erin started to feel better about being there; the people around Abby and her were smiling and the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful, and she allowed said atmosphere to infect her, too, even feeling a bit curious when people up the road started to cheer, Abby craning her neck to see what those cheers were about.

“Oooh”, she then let out, smiling brightly at Erin, “it’s the Biker Chicks! Come on, I want to get a closer look at them, they have really cool bikes.”

She tugged Erin along to the very front of the crowd, so that they ended up standing in the first row; Erin had never been interested in motorbikes, but took a look anyway…

...and her heart stopped, then hammered on in her chest so fast it almost hurt as her gaze landed on one of the most attractive women she had ever seen.

Next to her, Abby was talking excitedly about the bikes, but Erin didn’t hear a word she was saying; she kept staring at one of the women, heart still racing, mouth dry, palms sweaty again, and the woman was looking right back at her, and she felt as if lightning had struck her, never having felt like this ever before in her life.

* * *

It was one of Holtzmann’s favorite days of the year - Pride. 

As per tradition, Holtzmann and the contingent of local “Dykes on Bikes” (as they liked to be referred to), including her best friend Patty, met at a diner for a pre-parade breakfast. The group was loud and joyful, celebrating the fact that they all could just  _ be _ , the other 364 days of the year sometimes being more stressful and scary. Holtzmann had scarfed down two stacks of pancakes and an entire platter of hash browns, drawing an eye from Patty.

“Holtzy. Calm down, it’s not like you can’t get food afterward.”

“I know”, Holtzmann said between chewing a mouthful of potatoes. “But I need energy for… activities later.” The blonde finished her statement with a wink, earning an over exaggerated eye roll from her best friend. 

Now, a couple hours later, Holtzmann was slowly riding her bike down the parade path. A grin was plastered on her face, looking at all the beautiful, happy people in the crowd. She loved to people watch, and today was a prime opportunity to do so. 

It was during one of these scans of the crowd that her gaze fell upon a tweed skirt, auburn hair and gorgeous dark blue eyes. 

Holtzmann felt a tingling in her spine she’d never experienced before. 

She wasn’t the young, conventionally pretty girl Holtzmann usually took home and bedded. She was older, and there was an intelligence in the other woman’s eyes that intrigued her. Their eyes met and the other woman’s mouth opened a little, obviously as captivated with her as Holtzmann felt.

So the blonde licked her lips and winked. 

She saw the woman look down immediately, a blush creeping up from her neck to her cheeks. Holtzmann couldn’t take her eyes off of her as she approached, the sounds and sights surrounding her completely fading into the background. The blonde slowed when she reached the woman, who was unable to meet her gaze, still overwhelmed by Holtzmann’s gesture.

“Come here often?”

The auburn haired woman’s lips parted when she looked up at the biker, managing to stammer out a single sentence.

“Well, not really - I mean Pride is only once a year, so…”

“Dammit Erin, get some!”

To Holtzmann’s delight, the woman’s friend who had been observing this entire interaction with a smirk on her face pushed her toward the bike, Holtzmann grabbing her with one arm before she pitched forward into the pavement. The moment they touched, the blonde felt a rush of heat pass through her body. She shivered.

“Hop on sweetheart.”

Holtzmann tried to play suave, flip. But there was something about this woman. Something that made her plead inside that she accept her offer.

She did.

The woman glared at her friend as Holtzmann helped her off the curb. “I’ll meet you two at the end of the parade route. Have fun!” The woman cackled as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving her friend holding onto Holtzmann’s leather jacket.

Their eyes met once again.

“I’m Holtzmann.”

“Erin.”

“Well, hang on Erin.” The blonde supported the other woman as she slightly hiked up her skirt and slid on behind the biker, holding onto her hips.

“We’re going for a ride.”

* * *

The first few minutes of the ride were silent, Holtzmann sensing that Erin was nervous, unsure. The biker tried not to be affected by the feeling of the other woman’s body pressed against hers, her hands resting on her black tank top covered sides underneath her leather jacket.

“So, what brings you to Pride Erin?” Holtzmann turned her head so the other woman could hear her over the sound of her motorcycle’s engine.

“Well, Abby, that’s my friend, wanted me to come. I’ve never been. She thought it would be good to go - I just had a bad breakup. With a man - my boyfriend. I’m sorry if that bothers you. I mean -”   


“Erin, Erin. Relax. I don’t bite. Well not unless asked. “ Holtzmann grinned in an attempt to lighten the mood. “It's ok that this is your first Pride. Or you dated a man. I won’t judge.”

The other woman swallowed before blurting out. 

“I’m bisexual!”

Holtzmann smirked. “Well, that means I have a chance, eh?”

The was a pause before Erin giggled, the tension between them diffusing somewhat. They spent the rest of the ride getting to know one another. Holtzmann learned Erin was an associate professor of particle physics at Columbia, hopefully on her way to tenure. She had only dated men in her life, but Abby was encouraging her to meet new people. Erin had a fondness for tweed, short story anthologies and sushi.

Holtzmann opened up to the physicist, something she rarely did with anyone, much less someone she had just met. She told Erin she was a mechanic at Patty’s bike shop, and she had been riding and repairing bikes since she was six years old. That the bike they were riding on was a 1971 Harley Davidson Sportster whose frame she had found in a junkyard and she had lovingly restored and reassembled over a period of two years. She had a master’s in engineering, something Erin perked her ears up for. 

The parade route was just over three miles, but it seemed to pass quickly as the two women got to know one another. As they approached the end of the route,  Holtzmann saw Abby in the distance, waiting for Erin in the shade underneath a tree. The biker tried not to be disappointed that her time with the physicist was coming to an end.  _ C’mon Holtz, as if. _

She extended her hand to assist Erin getting off the bike, the two women staring at one another before Erin reached for something in the small purse she had slung across her shoulders before the impromptu bike ride.

“Here, let me give you my card. I’d like to see you again.”

Holtzmann tried not to show her giddiness as she took the business card, turning it over in her hands. “Why thank you Dr. Gilbert. I’d like that too. Very much.” Holtzmann looked up from her hands to see the other woman staring intently at her.

In a split second Erin’s lips were on her own, her hands tugging at her blonde curls. The physicist’s tongue entered her mouth ever so briefly, a promise of what perhaps was to come. She pulled away abruptly, enjoying the shocked look on the biker’s face.

“Later Holtzmann.”

The blonde could swear Erin was shaking her hips more on purpose as she walked away from her, unable to stifle the groan that escaped her lips. Holtzmann brought her hand to her lips, still feeling Erin’s bruising kiss.

For the first time in several years Holtzmann came home alone from Pride.

It would take all of Holtzmann’s willpower not to call Erin the minute she got home.  
  
She waited until dinnertime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbro the Younger here :D Who can say no to hot ladies on bikes? Erin certainly can't. Elder Holtzbro also found a pic of the bike [Holtz rides.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson_Sportster#/media/File:HarleyDavidson_1973_Sportster\(XLCH\)_1.jpg)  
> We hope you'll stick with us for this one - there will be a few surprises along the way ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive and enthusiastic comments thus far! Who knew other folks had such a thing for lady bikers, hehe.
> 
> So yeah, here be smut. And it may just... surprise you ;)
> 
> RIP your pants, sorry not sorry.

“I should be so mad at you”, Erin said as she marched to where Abby was waiting for her, briefly wondering if Abby had seen her kiss the blonde and blushing at the thought - she wasn’t quite sure what had come over her when she had done so, but it had felt so good and right that she didn’t truly regret it, only worried for a moment what Abby might think of her if she had seen it, smooching a woman she literally just had met, and with tongue, too. 

“Just pushing me like that”, she added when Abby smirked, “you’re lucky that Holtzmann is very nice and charming.”

“Charming enough to prompt you to kiss her, huh?” Abby teased, making it quite clear that she had seen indeed; Erin blushed furiously, feeling a bit less worried though when her friend chuckled, then gave her a bright smile, eyes twinkling.

“Good for you”, she said, nudging Erin a bit, “you gonna see her again, then?”

“I hope so”, Erin replied, her blush deepening, “I gave her my card, I didn’t think to ask for her number, so if she doesn’t call, I’m screwed. Or not screwed, depending on the angle one looks at this from.”

At this, Abby let out a snort of laughter and shook her head; Erin smiled at her, her blush slowly fading, then nodded as the brunette suggested that they should get a drink, following her through the crowd, lips still tingling from when she had kissed Holtzmann, her heart skipping an excited beat each time she thought of those seconds, hoping with all her heart that Holtzmann would indeed call her and that this wouldn’t end up being a random one-time encounter.

* * *

Hours later, just before dinnertime, Erin had made it to her apartment, letting out a groan as she pulled off her high heels and dropped down onto the couch; after a day of running around at Pride, her feet were aching, and she let out another groan as she put them up onto the table, taking some of the pressure off, wishing that she’d have someone around to give her a footrub.

This made her think of Holtzmann again, and she reached up to touch her lips, smiling to herself as she thought back to the kiss; and as if those thoughts had somehow summoned the blonde, her cellphone started to ring in her purse, Erin’s heart skipping a beat when she glanced at the display and it was a number she neither recognized, nor was it saved among her contacts.

_ Please be Holtzmann and not some telemarketer,  _ she thought to herself, then took the call, giving her best to not sound too giddy when she said “Hello? Erin Gilbert speaking.”

“Hi”, she recognized Holtzmann’s voice at once, unable to hold back a wide smile, “Holtzmann, from Pride? I hope I’m not calling at a bad time?”

“No, not at all”, Erin quickly reassured, thinking to herself how she would have taken that call even if her apartment had caught fire at this very moment, “I’m glad you’re calling.”

“I hope you’ll also be glad that I’m calling to suggest a date, then”, Holtzmann said, trying her best to sound smooth and confident, glad that Erin couldn’t see her and the way her free hand nervously played with a bit of wire, “you got any plans on Saturday...?”

“I guess I do now”, Erin smiled, earning a low chuckle from the blonde which sent pleasant shivers up and down her spine, “I have no work on Saturday, so I guess the time and place are up to you?”

“I can pick you up at your place at four?” Holtzmann suggested, “or at some other location if you’re not comfortable with giving me your address?”

“No, it’s fine”, Erin reassured her at once, without a second of hesitation; she gave her address to the blonde, smiling again when Holtzmann told her she’d be there at four.

“Oh, and I’d advise to wear pants”, the blonde added, almost as an afterthought, “unless you don’t mind riding on my bike with a skirt.”

“I’ll keep that in mind”, Erin told her, feeling giddy at the thought of riding on the other woman’s bike again; she had enjoyed it much more than she had thought she would, sitting behind Holtzmann on said bike, her arms wrapped around the blonde’s waist, the wind in her hair and the blonde’s scent in her nose.

“Excellent”, Holtzmann said, sounding as happy as Erin was feeling, “I’ll see you on Saturday then.”

“Looking forward to it”, Erin let her know before she could stop herself, not sure if perhaps, it was too soon to say such things, but not trying to take it back either; to her relief, Holtzmann sounded quite happy and genuine when she told her that she did, too, and after she had ended the call, Erin let out a giddy little squeal, silently thanking Abby for having pushed her like that, looking forward to Saturday already and to what the date might bring.

* * *

True to her word, Holtzmann rang her doorbell exactly at four o’clock; after one final, quick look into the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, Erin went to meet her, her heart skipping an excited beat again when she opened the door and found herself looking at a grinning Holtzmann.

“Hey there, hot stuff”, the blonde then said, with a little bow which made Erin giggle, “ready to ride?”

“Yes”, Erin gave back at once, having remembered to put on jeans, like Holtzmann had suggested, and flat shoes, not sure her heels would have been comfortable; Holtzmann offered her arm with a flourish, and with another laugh, Erin took hold of it, letting the younger woman lead her downstairs, where her bike was waiting parked next to the sidewalk.

This time, it had saddlebags, Erin noticed, and they were bulging slightly, making her wonder what was in them; figuring that Holtzmann would tell her though if it was something connected to their date, she didn’t ask though, but simply waited as Holtzmann got onto the bike and started the engine, then handed her a spare helmet, the physicist feeling giddy again when she took her seat behind the blonde.

“Hold on tight”, Holtzmann said, something Erin didn’t need to be told twice, “it’s not that far, but part of the ride is gonna be a bit bumpy.”

She didn’t give more information than that, but Erin found herself oddly trusting with her, and so, she didn’t question; she held on tightly, as Holtzmann had said, and enjoyed the ride as the blonde drove away from the curb and onto the street, curious where they would go and what Holtzmann had planned for their date.

* * *

The ride had only taken 10 minutes, Holtzmann taking the physicist to a local park. She had driven up the park’s bumpy cobblestone pathway, stopping her bike next to a large tree before turning it off. Holtzmann hopped off the motorcycle, helping Erin take off her helmet and offering her arm to assist her off the bike.

“My hair’s a disaster now.” Erin ran her hands through auburn locks in a futile attempt to fix her helmet hair.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” 

Holtzmann’s bright smile gave her pause, the physicist immediately ceasing fussing with her hair.

“Now help me spread this blanket out hot stuff.”

Erin soon discovered that in Holtzmann’s saddlebags were the elements for a picnic in the park, complete with a blanket, two deli sandwiches, a cheesecake, a bottle of red wine and a tub of Pringles. “You say no to these salty parabolas,” the blonde said with a smirk as she popped a chip in her mouth, eliciting a giggle from the physicist.

Over the next three hours the two women got to know each other better over their picnic food, discussing their jobs, their likes and dislikes (Holtzmann moaned in mock horror when she discovered Erin preferred creamy over crunchy peanut butter), and the books and movies they had enjoyed as of late. 

It was during an involved story about how Holtzmann had found herself out of the engineering world that Erin felt a pang in the bottom of her stomach. The younger woman was on the verge of tears when she recalled how she had landed a job at CERN after completing her masters. How she had excelled and her future looked so bright. But all it took was an unfortunate accident, one moment of carelessness, and it had all come crashing down. Erin reached over to clasp one of Holtzmann’s shaky hands.

“Patty pulled me out of it. I was so despondent. She gave me a job at her shop. And I loved it so much I stayed there. It’s been five years now and I’ve never been happier.”

Once again Erin felt a pull. And when Holtzmann flashed her toothy grin, the physicist couldn’t help herself. 

This time Holtzmann matched the intensity of Erin’s kiss immediately, a low groan escaping from the back of her throat. It wasn’t long before Erin leaned into the embrace, pushing the biker flat on her back onto the picnic blanket while she straddled her. When they parted Holtzmann’s hands were firmly affixed to Erin’s hips, the physicist’s hands in blonde curls. They took a moment to catch their collective breaths, their stares intense.

“Your place or mine?” Erin’s voice took a husky tenor, causing the younger woman’s eyes to widen.

“Yours? I only have a studio and it’s a bit of a mess right now, plus I have laundry all over the place and -”

Erin shut up Holtzmann's rambles with another firm kiss.

“Now let’s ride.”

* * *

Holtzmann’s hands shook as she maneuvered into the parking lot of Erin’s apartment. She knew the physicist didn’t have to press her chest into her back that much, that her hands didn’t need to rest right under the curve of her breasts. By the time the two of them were approaching the elevator in Erin’s building, her hand clasped in one of the physicist’s own, Erin’s thumb rubbing circles in the palm of her hand, Holtzmann felt lightheaded.

_ Why am I feeling like this? _

The blonde didn’t have much time to consider, pushed toward the far wall of Erin’s living room shortly after she entered the apartment.

She shivered.

“Huh?” Erin’s head cocked as she brought her face dangerously close to the blonde’s own. “A big, bad biker like yourself, pressed up against the wall by a mousy professor.” She lifted one leg to position it in-between Holtzmann’s thighs, the younger woman unable to resist bucking up against it slightly. “What would all your friends say?”

“Nothing,” Holtzmann rasped between clenched teeth. “They’d just be jealous because of the brilliant, hot lady who has me pinned against the wall.”

“Mmm. Good answer.” Erin mauled Holtzmann’s lips the moment she finished her sentence. The blonde rested her hands on the physicist’s hips as she felt Erin capture her bottom lip between her teeth. And bite down.

“Hngh. Erin.”

“Like a little pain, don’t you? I am a scientist by nature you know. And I shall meticulously file all these findings away for future use.”

Holtzmann could feel her eyes rolling in the back of her head as Erin moved down to her neck, nipping and sucking a trail down to her collarbone. She cared not if she left marks. In fact, she craved them.

She had tended to take the lead with her lovers, often showing them the ropes, impressing them with her precise skill when it came to coaxing orgasm from even the most stubborn. But Holtzmann had always craved to relinquish her power. To let someone take control. Of the sex. Of her. 

Holtzmann barely knew Erin. But something inside her told her to trust the older woman.

Something inside her told her to let go.

She allowed herself to be led to the bedroom on shaky legs. She noted the dainty floral duvet on the queen sized bed, the sheer curtains in pink that covered the windows. It was surely not indicative of the kind of woman who caused a rush of wetness between Holtzmann’s legs with her next words.

“Take off my clothes and then get on your knees in front of me.”

Holtzmann whimpered as she slid the gray cardigan off of Erin’s shoulders, followed by the tight, black t-shirt underneath. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head when they landed on the lacy purple and black bra the physicist was wearing.

“Pants, Holtzmann. Hurry up.”

The blonde nodded, quickly removing Erin’s slip-on white sneakers and socks before moving back upward to unbutton and unzip her jeans. It took all her resolve not to run her tongue over creamy white thighs as she slid the pants down the physicist’s legs. The older woman kicked them off with a flourish. 

Erin’s panties matched her bra and the biker’s mouth went dry. The physicist raised an amused eyebrow.

“I’ll finish up here. Now on your knees Holtz. Like a good girl.”

Holtzmann obediently nodded before coming to rest on her knees in front of the professor. A small groan escaped her lips when Erin painstakingly removed her underwear, standing before her completely nude.

“Shit, Erin.”

“Who said you could use that mouth for talking? I want it on me. Now.”

Holtzmann was sure she probably had rug burn from scooting so quickly across the bedroom carpet on her knees so her face was right in front of Erin’s center. She could smell the musky sweetness that was Erin and licked her lips. She carefully lifted one of the physicist’s legs so it rested on top of her shoulder, giving Erin a sly wink before diving in.

“Fuck, you’re gonna pay for that. Count on it.”

Holtzmann grinned as she ran her tongue lazily through Erin’s folds. She wanted to savor this, take her time. But she sensed this was a means to an end, and the real show would happen after she got Erin off. She could feel the physicist aching to turn the tables on her. She was not one to prolong the inevitable, thus she spread Erin’s lips with her thumbs and feasted.

“Shit, you’re good,” Erin moaned.

The blonde hummed in the affirmative, the vibrations causing Erin to grab Holtzmann’s hair with both hands and pull. The biker took this as a sign to redouble her efforts, and within a few minutes, she could feel the leg on her shoulder trembling.

“Holtzmann. HOLTZ.”

Several flicks of her tongue on Erin’s clit, and the physicist was gone, loud moans filling the room. Holtzmann moved her hands to steady Erin by palming her behind, ensuring the shaking woman wouldn’t topple over. After several moments, when the physicist stilled, Holtzmann lifted her head, her upper lip glistening with Erin’s completion. When their eyes met, the blonde felt the inside of her thighs get wetter.

“Your turn. Take off all your clothes Holtzmann. And then get on the bed and lie on your back. You have 30 seconds. If you’re not done by then I’m taking a shower. Without you.”

Holtzmann had never stripped so fast in her life, not caring that her paint spattered overalls ended up on Erin’s dresser, her boxers landing on the lamp on the physicist’s nightstand. She flung herself on the bed and folded her hands behind her head, wiggling her eyebrows as she met Erin’s gaze.

“Socks too Holtz.”

“Aw, Erin. I get cold feet.”

“Off.” 

The tone in the older woman’s voice showed she was in no mood to argue, so Holtzmann obediently pulled her neon pink socks off, flinging them in the corner. When she laid back down, Holtzmann felt her fingers trembling.

_ Have I ever been this turned on before? Probably not. Oh… _

Erin wasted no time straddling the blonde, cupping her cheeks as she ravished her lips. Holtzmann was so focused on kissing the physicist, she hadn’t noticed one of Erin’s hands slide down her body until she felt her nipple being pinched between two fingers.

“Hngh…”

“Hmm, another thing you like. Maybe I should keep doing it. What do you say Holtzy?” Erin spoke huskily against Holtzmann’s lips, her eyes intense.

“Yes…” The biker tried not to whine, but she was so needy she didn’t care how she sounded.

“Yes what?” Erin raised an eyebrow and stilled her hand, Holtzmann whimpering at the loss of sweet friction on her breast.

“Yes - please?” Holtzmann was definitely whining now.  _ I’d get on my knees again if she asked me to. _

“Such a polite young lady you are. I think you’ve earned a reward.”

Erin tipped her head downward to capture the nipple between her fingers with her mouth, her lips making loud smacking noises that drove Holtzmann insane. The younger woman threaded one hand through auburn hair, her other arm thrown across her face as she groaned.

“Fuck, you’ve got a good mouth Erin.”

“Hmm.” Erin swirled her tongue around Holtzmann’s other nipple, evoking a sharp cry from the blonde. “I’ve been told my fingers are just as good, if not better.” The physicist looked up at Holtzmann with a sly grin as she trailed one hand down her flat stomach, through coarse curls and dipped a single finger through slick heat.

“Hngh, shit!” Holtzmann couldn’t help bucking her hips when Erin made contact with her clit, ever so slightly. The other woman chuckled.

“So wet and ready aren’t we? Do you know what you want?” The physicist rubbed slow, light circles on Holtzmann’s clit, just enough to make her dizzy with desire, but not nearly enough to get her close to any sort of completion.

“Er -” Holtzmann was panting. Desperate.

The expression on Erin’s face was feral. “What do you want Holtzmann?” She brought her face centimeters away from the blonde’s, her lips so close to Holtzmann’s own she could almost taste them.

“Beg me.”

The biker felt as if a dam had broken inside her. She babbled incoherently, her only focus on the beautiful woman partially on top of her and how badly she wanted to be so good for her.

How badly she wanted to come for her.

“Erin, I need you to fuck me. I need it so bad baby. Please. Please.”

All Holtzmann felt was two slim fingers entering her. Her hands moved to grip the off-white sheets, her heels dug into the mattress. She knew she was being loud. She heard filthy whispers in her ear as the physicist pumped her fingers inside her slowly. At first. But then the tempo picked up and the blonde felt reality slipping away.

“Holtzmann.”

Erin’s voice snapped the biker out of the haze of impending orgasm just long enough to look at the physicist through heavy eyelids.

“Look at me. Look at when you come.”

“Fuck. ERIN.” 

She held Erin’s gaze as long as she could as she felt the first waves of pleasure emanating from her core. After a few moments, it was too much. Her back arched off the bed, a breathy moan reverberated off the bedroom walls as she felt herself shatter inside. 

It took several moments for Holtzmann to come back down to earth, her body still trembling. She felt Erin withdraw her fingers and opened her eyes just in time to see the physicist put her fingers in her mouth and over exaggeratedly swirl her tongue around them. Holtzmann felt a jolt in her center at the mere sight, even though she was still feeling the effects of the orgasm she’d had moments before.

“Mmm, you taste really good Holtz. I might have to get in on that a little later.”

Holtzmann grabbed Erin by the hair and pulled her in for a rough kiss, sighing when she tasted herself on the other woman’s lips. She pulled her face back abruptly.

“I’ve been told I have great stamina Dr. Gilbert.”

“Do you now?”

Holtzmann hooked one leg around Erin’s hips and pushed, flipping their positions so the blonde was now on top. She licked her lips, enjoying how the physicist's pupils were blown from desire.

“You’ll find out, won’t you?”


	3. Chapter 3

Erin hummed quietly and happily to herself as she packed up Friday afternoon, glad that her last class on this day had ended early; and as she thought about how this made her feel, she smiled to herself, amazed by how her perception of an early end on Friday had changed.

Just a few weeks ago, she reflected as she shut down her computer, then slung her bag over her shoulder, she had been dismayed whenever Friday had been over and she’d been forced to head home for a weekend of boredom; she had gone out with Abby every now and then, but not  _ every  _ weekend, and while she had been dating Phil, weekends had been somewhat boring, as well, with her ex having preferred to stay in, Erin barely able to convince him to go out for dinner a few rare times.

Now, with this new development in her life, her weekends were far from boring anymore, and she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

It was amazing, she thought to herself as she said goodbye to her colleagues and started for the exit, how everything had fallen into place; and all because of Abby pushing her, Erin knew, smiling to herself as she thought of how much joy this one act had brought to her life.

For the past few weeks, Holtzmann and she had been what only could be described as “fuck buddies”, meeting as often as it was possible for them - and having mind-blowing sex each time they hung out together, usually in Erin’s apartment.

It was somewhat fascinating, Erin thought to herself as she walked out of the building, how Holtzmann made it so easy for her to let the more dominant side of her personality come to the surface; she had tried to act out these impulses once before, with one of the few men in her life, and after he had reacted rather non-plussed, had kept them under lock and key, quite convinced that she’d have to keep these ideas and this part of her restricted to her fantasies.

Then, she had taken Holtzmann to her bedroom, and  _ something _ about the blonde had made it almost frighteningly easy to let dominant Erin out for play.

The way Holtzmann reacted to her whenever she took control like that was so different to how the only guy she’d ever tried it with had reacted, so much more positive and passionate, that it only got easier; and Holtzmann’s reaction was what Erin had in mind as she got into the subway, not heading home, but to another, so far unfamiliar destination.

She had never been to the garage Holtzmann worked at before, but she knew where it was; and she knew that people liked to duck out early on Friday, most of them at noon, one or two p.m. at the latest, while Holtzmann often worked longer than that, for fun and her personal enjoyment.

For fun, and all on her own.

At least Erin hoped that the blonde was all on her own, knowing her idea wouldn’t work out if anyone else was there; as she reached the garage, she could hear the sounds of someone working on a vehicle from within, the noise joined by an upbeat 80’s song when she stepped into the building, but she couldn’t see anyone, and figured that this was a good start.

Making sure to move quietly, she followed the noises, making her way past several cars which apparently were being repaired, and a bunch of motorcycles; and then, she spotted Holtzmann, the blonde bent over the car she was working on, giving Erin quite the good view of her backside as she tinkered with the vehicle’s engine.

“You have a really cute butt”, Erin said, holding back a smirk when Holtzmann jumped, thankfully not high enough to hit her head on the open hood; wide-eyed, the younger woman turned, then smiled as her eyes met Erin’s, her work forgotten at once when she saw a certain glint she had become quite familiar with at this point in the physicist’s eyes.

“Why, hello”, she drawled, making Erin smile as well, “come here often?”

“I believe you’ll be the one who’ll do the coming”, Erin replied, striding to where Holtzmann was standing in front of the car, and snatching up a bundle of zip ties on the way; the blonde swallowed audibly at that, heart already racing before Erin even had touched her.

“Turn around”, Erin instructed, taking control effortlessly and with a tone which made Holtzmann’s insides clench in a good way, “and bend over. I want you to get a real close look at that engine.”

Holtzmann did as she had been told without a second of hesitation; she held back a groan when Erin stopped so close behind her that their bodies were  _ almost  _ touching, biting her lip at the next instruction Erin gave.

“Hands behind your back”, the physicist said, and once Holtzmann had complied, Erin used one of the zip ties to bind her wrists together, the younger woman groaning at the brief contact of Erin’s fingers on her skin as she tied her up. 

“You’re such a good employee”, Erin practically purred once the zip tie had been used to her satisfaction, “I think you deserve a special kind of bonus. One only I can give you.”

Not bothering with much foreplay - and figuring that it wasn’t exactly needed, judging from how flushed Holtzmann’s face was already and how heavily she was breathing - Erin reached around her waist and opened her belt, then her pants; and as she slid her hand inside Holtzmann’s boxers and found warm wetness there, she smiled, as it showed that her assumption had been quite correct.

“My, my, Holtzmann”, she said, her teasing tone earning her a groan from the younger woman, “you’re so excited already? Do I make you feel like this so quickly?”

“God yes”, Holtzmann groaned, and a moment later, she clenched her fists as she felt Erin drag one finger through her folds agonizingly slow, her hips twitching in response to the touch.

“You can squirm and twitch all you want”, Erin mumbled as she bent forward, until her front was pressed against Holtzmann’s back, “but if you try to straighten up, I’ll stop. Immediately. Got that?”

“Yes”, Holtzmann gave back immediately, craning her neck and rolling her eyes in a vain attempt to look at Erin, “yes, I got it, just, Erin, please…”

Erin was a bit impressed at how fast she had gotten Holtzmann to beg, and it made her feel rather smug, too; she showed the blonde how much she appreciated this development by pressing down with the tip of her finger, by now knowing quite well what Holtzmann liked and how she’d get the best reactions - and the reaction was immediate, the blonde letting out a throaty moan as her hips twitched again, forward this time, in an attempt to increase the friction.

“Impatient, huh”, Erin teased, momentarily thinking about pulling her hand back, but then deciding against it - surely Holtzmann would have warned her, had there been any danger of anyone else walking in on them, so she figured that they had plenty of time, and taking the edge off before she’d take Holtzmann apart with her hands and mouth was quite the appealing thought.

And so, she pushed down a bit again, and moved her finger just the slightest bit, and the drawn-out, breathless “oh fuuuuuuck” she earned from Holtzmann in reply showed her that she was doing quite the good job.

She increased the speed a bit, and made Holtzmann groan and tremble and twitch for a while; then, when she be sure the blonde was ready, she slid one finger inside her, smiling again at the “SHIT!” she ripped from Holtzmann’s throat with the simple motion.

“Such a filthy mouth”, she purred as she started moving her finger, then added a second one, “perhaps next time, I should find a gag for you, too.”

The incoherent noise Holtzmann let out in reply only spurred her on more, and she curled her fingers  _ just so _ , a commanding tone in her voice again as she said the words she knew Holtzmann already was aching for.

“Come for me, Holtzmann”, she said, and it was a command, not a request or a suggestion; and Holtzmann did, groaning and twitching as her orgasm washed over her, Erin letting her come down slowly, her smile full of mischief when she ordered the blonde to turn and face her.

“Hope your stamina is as good as it has been the last times”, she purred, pausing to lick her fingers clean and making Holtzmann shudder with delight and desire, “cause we’re just getting started.”

* * *

Erin smiled as she watched Holtzmann’s lips close over the tip of a large slice of pizza covered in pineapple and other assorted toppings.  _ Just think where those lips were only an hour ago _ , she mused.  _ On my mouth, my nipples, my clit. _ Erin shifted uncomfortably in the worn leather seat of the booth the couple were seated in, already getting hot and bothered for a possible round two. Her panties were long gone, left in Holtzmann’s work locker as a reminder of what they had done in the shop for three solid hours.

After they were momentarily satiated, Holtzmann had suggested dinner at a dingy pizzeria several blocks away from the shop. Erin was skeptical at first, with the somewhat run-down interior and limited menu. But she was pleasantly surprised by how good her half of their pizza was (mushrooms only, thank you), and how refreshing her mug of cold beer tasted. Especially after their recent activities.

“Is that tasty Holtzy?” Erin asked as the blonde finished chewing the last of her first slice of pizza.

“Yup,” Holtzmann said with a partially full mouth. “But not as tasty as you hot stuff.” The biker winked and licked her lips before taking a sip of her beer.

_ The things she does to me… _

Erin smiled in return, but her mind was racing. What she and Holtzmann had was great. Perfect even. The best sex of her life, whenever and wherever she wanted. A patient and malleable partner. Interesting and often humorous conversation, only limited by how long they could wait before tearing one another’s clothes off.

But she found herself lately feeling melancholy when Holtzmann would put her clothes back on after a night spent touching and tasting their bodies for hours. The blonde never stayed the night. Because they both knew what that meant.

A commitment. 

Erin suspected Holtzmann thought the same as she, that a professor and motorcycle-riding mechanic had no future together. That people would talk. That they were better off as fuck-buddies and an occasional dinner out, not as lovers and girlfriends.

But now Erin wondered.

She knew the way her stomach quivered when Holtzmann would flash her one of her winning million-dollar smiles. The way she felt a comforting heat when the biker put a gentle hand on her shoulder, or brushed by her innocently when they were still clothed and chatting. The longing she had for the two of them to do something together that didn’t always end up in sex, but maybe just cuddling and sleeping in each other's arms, and waking up to coffee and breakfast and perhaps a shower together. 

Erin wanted more. 

Her eyes were downcast, her fingers playing with a paper napkin when she spoke next.

“Holtzmann? Can I ask a question?”

“Sure babe. Anything.” Holtzmann put her beer back down on the table and swiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, taking care of the beer foam mustache left in her sip’s wake.

The physicist took a deep breath. “What are we doing?”

Holtzmann tilted her head in confusion. “Um, we’re eating some of the best damn pizza in New York before we go back to your place and bone like a couple of teenagers on prom night.”

Normally Erin would’ve chuckled at the blonde’s metaphor, but she was too nervous, knowing the question she wanted to pose.

“Erin?” Holtzmann reached across the table to cover one of her hands, the contact sending a shiver down the physicist’s spine. “What’s wrong?”

She looked into bright blue eyes behind yellow tinted glasses.  _ I could get lost in those forever… _

“Do you ever want...more?”

“More sex? Baby I’m already going into the shop walking funny in the mornings. The shit Patty gives me. You don’t even know.”

Erin shook her head. “No, I meant…” The physicist stopped, taking a moment to gather her courage. “I meant do you want there to be more between us. Do you want to date? Or something?”

“Oh.” The flatness in Holtzmann’s voice made Erin cringe. The biker withdrew her hand and rubbed the back of her neck, uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry Holtz.” Erin felt like hiding under the table. “I just -”

“No, no. It’s not you babe.” Holtzmann tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. “It’s just Holtzy doesn’t do relationships. She’s bad at them. Like really bad.” 

“Ok.” Erin’s voice was small, defeated.

“But hey,” Holtzmann voice was sickeningly upbeat. “We can still have fun right? I mean I like you. A helluva lot. But…” The biker’s words trailed off, unsure of what to say that wouldn’t cut Erin like a knife.

“Sure Holtz. Sure.” Erin smiled, hoping the younger woman wouldn’t pick up on how disappointed and confused she was.

How much this all hurt.

The rest of the meal was spent in relative silence, an awkward cloud hanging over the two women. Erin could feel the tension in Holtzmann’s back as they rode back to her apartment on her bike, her hands clutching the blonde’s sides a little lighter and more carefully than usual. She frowned when Holtzmann pulled up to the entrance of her building rather than parking on the street as she normally did. Erin slid off the back of the Harley and pulled her helmet off, giving the biker a questioning look.

“Holtzmann?”

“Hey listen. I’m kinda tired - what with all the extracurricular activities at the shop and the pizza. Raincheck?”

Erin noted how the blonde couldn’t quite meet her eyes, the way her gloved hands twitched on the handlebars. 

“Sure Holtz. Raincheck.” Erin leaned forward to cup Holtzmann cheeks and kissed her. The kiss was passionate, but brief.

“See ya later hot stuff.” Holtzmann winked before pulling away. Erin watched her until she disappeared around the corner, the sounds of her bike still reverberating through the neighborhood. 

The physicist took her time getting up to her apartment, throwing her purse on the couch cushions before sitting down and joining it moments later. She rubbed her face and tried not think about how she had made things more complicated.

_ I fucked up. Just like I always do. _

The tears came, quick and hot from the corners of her eyes.  
  
It would be a long time before they stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

For the rest of Friday, Erin had allowed herself to hope that maybe, she hadn’t messed things up beyond repair after all with what she had said; as Saturday went by though without Holtzmann calling, this hope shrivelled up more and more, only to die completely on Sunday evening when this day had passed as well without the blonde contacting her.

She didn’t get much sleep during the following night, and so, she was tired and upset by the time she left her apartment Monday morning and got on her way to work; Abby just had to take one look at her when she arrived at the office to be able to tell that something was wrong, but knew better than to ask right away, knowing that Erin would tell her once she was ready.

Abby took note of how, every now and then, Erin checked her phone, and of how her face fell each time she didn’t find whatever she had been hoping for on the display; even though she had no idea yet what was going on, Abby felt bad for her friend, her heart clenching up at seeing her in such obvious pain, and her mind raced as she tried to figure out what might have happened over the weekend that it had put Erin into such a dismal mood.

She figured that it had something to do with Holtzmann, even before Erin said anything to her; ever since Pride and having met the blonde there, Erin had been much more relaxed and happy, and even though she wasn’t the type to give any details, she had told Abby enough to let her know that what she did with Holtzmann was amazing and pretty much solely responsible for her good mood.

So now, Abby figured, something had happened over the weekend which was connected to Holtzmann, too, and had soured that good mood considerably.

“I messed up”, Erin finally did speak up about what was bothering her, quite a while after lunch; and immediately, Abby looked up from her work and at her best friend, her heart clenching up at how desolate and unhappy Erin looked.

“With Holtz”, she added at the questioning look Abby gave her; and while she sighed and hung her head dejectedly, Abby got up from her seat to move to her side, placing a tender hand on her back as she asked her what had happened.

“It was going so well”, Erin told her, finding it hard to look her in the eye, “as you could probably tell, from how good my mood was all the time. But then on Friday, I had to be stupid and ask her if she’d want… more.”

Abby didn’t really need to ask how that had ended, judging from how unhappy Erin looked; the physicist let out a sigh, then picked up a random pen from her desk to play nervously with it, still finding it hard to look at Abby as she continued.

“And she gave me the old It’s not you, it’s me”, she told her best friend, making her wince, “telling me she’s not good with relationships, but I guess we both know that it’s just me. Cause we had a good thing, and I fucked it up, because I couldn’t keep my stupid mouth shut. Way to go, Erin.”

“Aw man Erin, I’m sorry”, Abby showed sympathy, earning another unhappy look from her friend, “I know how much you enjoyed this…”

“Well, guess I’ll have to live without it from now on”, Erin mumbled, earning a worried look from her friend which prompted her to elaborate, “Holtz didn’t call after that awkward ending to our time together on Friday, so… And if I call her first, she’ll probably think I’m needy and trying to bring up the relationship thing again. And even if she doesn’t, it’ll always hang there between us now, if we ever do meet again, because I was so stupid and couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”

She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back tears, not wanting to cry over this again; feeling bad for her, Abby rubbed her back, trying to give her some comfort, now regretting that she had pushed Erin towards the bike, telling herself she would never have done that if she’d had any idea that it’d lead to that kind of heartbreak.

“I’m sorry”, she said, not adding anything else; anyone else might have said some of the usual phrases, about how there were other fish in the sea and about how Holtzmann didn’t deserve her anyway if she acted like this, but Abby knew that these would do more harm than good, and so, she simply pulled Erin into a hug, the physicist hiding her face against the other woman’s shoulder as she still struggled to hold back tears. 

“Hey you know what”, she said after a minute of just holding Erin and rubbing her back soothingly, “we both have late classes tomorrow. Let’s go out tonight, hit the bar, get a few drinks, so you can get your mind off of… this. Okay?”

Erin didn’t really feel like going out, but nodded anyway, knowing that, if she’d go straight home, she’d just end up thinking about Holtzmann and how she had messed up again, and after she had done this all weekend, she really didn’t want to spend another evening pondering this and what she had lost thanks to a few stupid words.

“Okay”, she thus said, glad that she had gotten the urge to cry under control; Abby beamed at her, happy that she had agreed, and Erin managed a weak smile in return, then made herself pull back from the hug and let Abby know that she had some work to finish before they could go, earning a brief nod from her friend, Abby giving her back another reassuring pat before she moved back to her own desk, hoping that a night out would help with cheering Erin up again and that she wouldn’t end up making things worse.

* * *

Erin absentmindedly traced her finger over the condensation building on the glass of her third gin and tonic. She had let Abby do most of the talking while the two of them sat at the bar, a local watering hole within walking distance of Columbia. Her best friend had made a valiant effort to cheer her up, with amusing anecdotes about some of the things her students had written on a pop quiz she had given recently, and discussion of several movies she had rented over the weekend. While Erin smiled, and acted appropriately, she knew Abby could tell she was still upset.

_ I got too close. It was just supposed to be fun and nothing more. And I went ahead and fell… _

Erin shook her head, unwilling to entertain the thought that was on the edge of her consciousness.

Abby returned from the restroom, a frown on her face.

“You ok Abs?”

“Ugh, I feel a migraine coming on Erin. You know how they just sneak up on me sometimes. I hate to do this, but I’m gonna head out. I have my 9 o’clock lecture tomorrow and if I don’t get at least 8 hours of sleep, my brains will leak out on my pillow.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Abby. Here, let me just grab my purse.”

Abby put a hand on Erin’s arm. “Finish your drink Er. Don’t rush out on my behalf. Just text me when you get home, ok?”

The physicist hesitated, unsure of whether she wanted to spend part of her evening in a bar alone. But she knew all she would do was go home and mope, and decided she might as well finish her drink and people watch for a bit before her mind caught up to her.

“Ok Abby. I hope you feel better.” 

The two women shared a hug before Abby left to catch a cab. Erin turned back to the bar and sipped her drink, periodically looking up at the TV showing a baseball game. She was about to close her tab when the bartender deposited another gin and tonic in front of her.

“I was just going to finish up. I didn’t order this.”

“I know you didn’t lady,” the gruff middle-aged man muttered. “This is compliments of the customer at the end of the bar.”

The barkeep turned away before Erin could inquire further. She nervously turned her head to the right, to see a dark-haired woman in her 30s smiling back at her. She winked.

_ Oh shit. Not tonight. _

The woman sauntered over to her stool, wearing a leather jacket and tight blue jeans. 

“I noticed you looked a little sad, so I thought I’d try to cheer you up. I’m Lauren.” The woman offered her hand, and the physicist tentatively shook it.

“Erin.”

Lauren slid into the barstool next to her. “So tell me Erin. To paraphrase a bad pickup line, what’s a pretty woman like you doing in a place like this?”

Erin couldn’t help but blush, still not used to unprompted compliments. They struck up a conversation, discussing generalities like the weather, their professions and where they were from originally. It was after the physicist had finished off her gin and tonic that Lauren moved close to her, cupping her cheek and bringing her lips to Erin’s own.

_ This isn’t right. She’s not Holtzmann. I want Holtz. _

She pulled back abruptly. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” Erin shook her head. “I mean you’re nice and attractive and all but -”

“It’s ok sweetheart.” She noted Lauren was slightly crestfallen even though she was smiling broadly. “I’ve been around the block long enough to know when a girl’s got her mind on someone else.” The other woman stroked Erin’s cheek before hopping out of her stool. “I hope she knows what’s she’s missing. Have a good night Erin.”

Erin blinked for a moment as she watched Lauren walk back to the other end of the bar. A wave of nausea suddenly washed over her, and the physicist hurriedly threw a wad of bills on the bar to settle her tab before running out the door.

She didn’t think it was possible, but Erin felt worse than when she had arrived.

* * *

Erin had reread the sentence at least a dozen times, and she still wasn’t comprehending it. She threw the journal down on her desk in frustration and rubbed her temples. 

She went home after the incident at the bar the night previous a complete disaster. Thinking it would help, she immediately had hopped in the shower once in her apartment. But instead she had sat on the floor of her bathtub sobbing while holding her knees to her chest until she had depleted all of her hot water. She fell into a fitful sleep afterward, grumbling when her alarm had gone off way too soon that morning. Even on her third cup of coffee, Erin still felt like she was in a fog.

_ It’s not just the lack of sleep. You haven’t felt right since... _

Erin threw her head back and groaned. Abby was off teaching her morning class and the physicist had the office all to herself. She probably could have begged off today, stayed home, but she knew sitting alone in her apartment wasn’t going to make things any better.

_ Acting like a wounded parakeet in your office isn’t going to help Gilbert. What if a student walks in here and sees you like this? _

Almost as if on cue, Erin heard a thumping sound and footsteps right outside her office door.

“Hello?” The physicist craned her neck in an attempt to see who was approaching. “Can I help you?”

Her mouth dried up when a messy blonde on crutches, left foot in a soft cast, who was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand hobbled in.

“Holtzmann?”  
  
“Hey hot stuff.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Holtzmann”, Erin repeated, momentarily feeling as if her vocabulary had been reduced to this one word; then, her mind caught up, fully registered the crutches and the cast and the bruises, and her eyes went wide as she practically jumped up from her chair.

“Oh my God!” she cried out, hurrying around the desk to Holtzmann’s side, the blonde looking a bit taken aback at her sudden franticness, “what happened?! Your leg! I thought I’d never see you again and now you come in here with a cast and on crutches?!”

“And flowers”, Holtzmann reminded her of the bouquet she was still clutching, holding them out to her somewhat awkwardly now, “um, flowers for you?”

Erin barely registered that it was quite the pretty bouquet when she took it, too distracted by the bruising and abrasions she could see on Holtzmann’s forearm; it looked as if someone had tried to rip the skin off her arm, and with quite the success, too, concern evident in her features when she asked again what had happened.

“Um, I fell”, Holtzmann gave back, touched by how worried Erin was for her - she hadn’t been quite sure what to expect when she had asked Patty to drive her to the university, and had been prepared for Erin yelling at her, or perhaps telling her she never wanted to see her again, but what she hadn’t been ready for was this genuine worry for her, “with my bike? When I drove away from your place on Friday. That’s why I didn’t call, you know, my phone got all smashed up and they’d only let me leave the hospital yesterday…”

“A chair!” Erin blurted in reply, earning a confused look from the blonde; she cleared her throat, then made herself elaborate, already moving to grab Abby’s office chair and roll it closer to where Holtzmann was still standing, somehow managing to not squish the flowers in the process.

“You should sit down”, she clarified, “take your weight off that leg, oh Holtz, poor you…”

“Thank you hot stuff”, Holtzmann gave back, carefully lowering herself onto the chair, grimacing as she felt her bruises at the movement; Erin gave her another worried look, then perched on the edge of her desk, not wanting to sit behind it for the talk she knew they would have to have now, for the first time taking a proper look at the flowers once she had gotten comfortable.

“Those are very beautiful”, she said, smiling slightly as she took another, closer look at them, “thank you, Holtzmann.”

“No problem”, Holtzmann gave back, then swallowed, suddenly looking and sounding awkward and finding it hard to meet Erin’s eyes as she continued, “and, uh… I’m really sorry. About Friday. I really…” 

She trailed off, then took in a deep breath, and Erin kept quiet, sensing that the blonde had more to say; and after taking a few seconds to sort her thoughts, Holtzmann did speak on, sounding oddly stilted now, the words rushing out of her.

“When I fell with my bike and was in the hospital all I could think about was the look on your face when I’d left and I felt so bad for causing that, for making you look like that”, Holtzmann told her, prompting Erin to swallow heavily, the professor remaining silent though, so Holtzmann could say what she had to say, “and I did mean it that I’m bad at this relationship thing, that wasn’t just something I said as a dumb excuse or something but… when I was in the hospital I couldn’t stop thinking of you. I missed you. And… I’m truly sorry so if you can forgive me how stupid I was and if you’re still interested I’d like to take you out. On a proper date. So we’d be dating.”

She fell silent, her hand coming up to awkwardly tug at her ear as she waited for Erin’s reaction; then, the professor smiled, and Holtzmann couldn’t hide her relief, giving a small, but happy smile back, even though she felt guilty again when Erin responded.

“I’ll be honest with you”, she started, taking note of how Holtzmann fidgeted on her seat, “when you… told me that, it hurt. It hurt a lot. And I was angry, not at you, but at myself, for ruining what we had when I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. But I missed you too, and I’m so happy you’re here now so… I’m very much interested. I’d love to go out on a date with you.”

Holtzmann beamed at her in response, the sight making Erin’s heart flutter; she hopped off the desk and moved closer to the blonde, placing both hands on the younger woman’s shoulders as she held her gaze.

“I’m gonna kiss you now”, she announced, and Holtzmann just had time for a brief nod, then Erin’s lips were on hers, and she forgot all about her broken leg as she wrapped both arms around the redhead and pulled her down onto her lap.

It was a kiss vastly different to the passionate, sometimes rough ones they had shared before, a slow and gentle one, one which didn’t just serve as an intro to sex, but seemed to confirm that now, they both wanted the same thing; still Erin’s heart was racing when she pulled back, and she felt a familiar tingle between her legs, the glint she could see in Holtzmann’s eyes telling her that the blonde had quite similar feelings.

“Let’s get out of here”, Erin mumbled, trailing the tips of her fingers along Holtzmann’s jawline and making her shudder, “and make up.”

“Gladly”, Holtzmann gave back, smiling in excitement, “oh, but we’ll have to take your car, or the subway or whatever. Patty gave me a ride here and I told her she could go back to the garage.”

“She gave you a ride?” Erin wanted to know, incredulous, “on her bike, with a broken leg?”

“Oh, no, not on her bike”, Holtzmann quickly reassured her, “in her sidecar.”

At this, Erin gaped - before she started to giggle uncontrollably, the mental image the blonde’s words had conjured up in her mind just too funny to let her hold the laughter back, Holtzmann grinning as well, relieved and happy that everything was working out so well.

* * *

Holtzmann felt a warm tingle on the small of her back were Erin placed her hand as she maneuvered into the elevator of the physicist’s apartment. They had shared a cab on the way here, neither saying much, just enjoying being in each other’s presence again.

“It’s just a hairline fracture you know,” the blonde had said as she reached for Erin’s hand, enjoying the slight tremble as she rubbed her thumb against Erin’s knuckles. “The doctor said it should only take a few weeks to heal - the two broken ribs hurt much more.”

Erin’s brow furrowed. “How?”

The biker sighed. “I was so distracted by what had just happened, by how hurt you looked when I brushed you off. I took a turn by my place too fast and skidded - the bike landed on top of me. Don’t worry, the cycle is fine for the most part. Holtzy and her phone? Not so much.”

“Oh Holtz.” The younger woman was touched by the genuine concern on Erin’s face, not accustomed to seeing such feelings directed toward her. She moved to place a chaste kiss on the physicist’s cheek before continuing.

“I couldn’t find the card you had given me, and with my phone nothing more than a paperweight, I didn’t know how to reach you. Patty offered to locate you, tell you what happened. But I told her I needed to tell you myself. I needed to apologize for hurting you.” Holtzmann cupped the physicist’s face and traced Erin’s cheek with her thumb, “I’m so, so sorry Erin. Can you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to apologize to me for. Especially now that we’re together.” Erin closed the gap between them, covering Holtzmann’s mouth with her own. The blonde hummed as their tongues lazily battled, neither one of them claiming victory, just enjoying the feeling of being so close once again.

The throat clearing by the cab driver roused the couple from their lip lock as they pulled up to the apartment building, Erin blushing and Holtzmann grinning broadly out of one side of her mouth. The blonde handed the man a wad of bills before accepting Erin’s hand, the physicist having come around to open the car door for her to assist her in standing with her crutches. 

Now, as they entered Erin’s apartment, Holtzmann felt a sense of anticipation she had yet to experience in this relationship. This wasn’t about sex any more, or getting off. 

This was about spending time with a person she was very, very fond of. So much so that it terrified her.

_ I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever Erin is willing to give me. Or take from me. _

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the couch Holtz. I’m just going to change out of these stuffy professor clothes, ok?

“Sure thing hot stuff.” Holtzmann smiled at Erin before the physicist turned around and headed for her bedroom. The blonde carefully made her way to the living room couch, plopping down on it and propping her crutches up against one of its arms. She amused herself by playing with the zipper on her leather jacket, so engrossed in idle thoughts she neglected to hear Erin returning.

“You carry a lot of tension in your shoulders.”

Holtzmann looked over and felt her mouth dry up. Leaning seductively against the entrance to the living room was Erin, clad only in a pair of red lacy panties and matching bra.

“E-Erin. Wow.” The blonde could barely speak, licking her lips as she looked Erin up and down. The other woman noticed and smirked, walking toward the couch with an extra bit of swagger in her step. She stood directly in front of Holtzmann and bent down, placing one hand on each of the biker’s shoulders. Her lips were mere inches from Holtzmann’s when she spoke.

“Poor Holtzy. Injured and in so much pain. Lean back babe. Let Erin make you feel allllll better.”

Erin closed the gap and kissed Holtzmann passionately, threading her fingers through blonde curls. Before the younger woman could react, Erin had already dropped to her knees and was tugging at the buckle on Holtzmann’s belt.

“Oh shit.”

“Shhhhhhhh. Sit back honey. Let me do all the work.” Erin deftly undid Holtzmann’s jeans, sliding them and her boxers down to her knees. A slit had been cut in the seam of one of the pant legs, enabling Erin to carefully pull her pants over her cast. The physicist tossed them, along with the polka dotted boxers to the side, spreading open Holtzmann’s thighs with both hands. She leaned forward and blew on the blonde’s center.

“Jesus!” Holtzmann yelped and briefly lifted her ass off the couch, the sensations driving her already aroused body closer to the edge. She heard Erin chuckle below her and glanced down to see dark blue hooded eyes look back at her. 

With little fanfare, Erin leaned forward and feasted.

“Fucking hell.” Holtzmann threw her head back on the couch and groaned as Erin’s tongue found her clit, broad strokes making the blonde’s head spin. She grabbed Erin’s head with both hands and held on.

“Ah, shit that’s so good baby. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”

Erin placed the tip of her tongue around Holtzmann’s entrance, tracing her inner lips until the biker whimpered. The physicist brought one of her thumbs up to press on the blonde’s clit, moving her face back just enough so she could stare Holtzmann in the eyes.

“Tongue or fingers Holtz.”

Holtzmann shivered. “Wh - what? Erin, please. Baby, I need…”

“Tongue or fingers? Answer me.” Erin pressed down harder with her thumb, the slight pain causing a surge of wetness to begin to soak the couch. 

Holtzmann closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Fingers. Oh god Er. Just fuck me.”

She felt a slim finger enter her, the sensation causing her hips to buck. Erin’s thumb was replaced by her tongue, as she quickly added a second finger while Holtzmann began to rock back and forth in time with Erin’s thrusts.

“Almost there, oh fuck Erin.”

Erin put her lips over Holtzmann’s clit and sucked. The blonde moaned, her higher than normal pitch reverberating throughout the apartment. She involuntarily tugged on Erin’s hair harder, the resulting hum from the physicist sending her over the edge.

“I’m coming, oh god I’m -”

Holtzmann arched her back off the couch as she came, her legs trembling so much she was afraid she’d crush Erin’s head. A steady hand on her upper thigh prevented her from sliding off the couch. The physicist withdrew her fingers from inside her as she was coming down and proceeded to lick her folds clean, Holtzmann whimpering while stroking Erin’s hair.

She was still breathing heavily when Holtzmann felt the loss of contact below her waist. She sensed Erin carefully sitting on the couch next to her, her bare thigh touching her own. The physicist pushed a wayward curl off Holtzmann’s sweaty brow and tucked it behind her ear.

“Hey you.”

“Hey.” Holtzmann’s voice cracked, still slightly shaky from the power of her orgasm. The sparkle in Erin’s eyes made the biker’s stomach feel as if they were full of butterflies. 

“C’mere.”

Erin wrapped her arm around Holtzmann’s shoulders and pulled the younger woman close to her, Holtzmann resting her head on Erin’s chest. She idly ran her fingers across the physicist’s stomach, enjoying the way it rippled under her touch.

“So happy.” Holtzmann murmured.

Erin kissed the top of the blonde’s head.  
  
“Me too Holtz. Me too.”


	6. Chapter 6

“For such a little place, I really did acquire a lot of stuff”, Holtzmann observed as she taped the final box shut, then straightened up to wipe sweat off her brow; they had been working for a few hours already - interrupted once by quick, but very good sex on her bed - and now that they were done, she had to admit that she indeed had more stuff than she initially had thought. 

“Well, we got it all now”, Erin smiled, stretching and grimacing when her back cracked audibly, “Patty said she’d be here at six, right?”

“Yup, with the van”, Holtzmann confirmed, smirking when Erin checked her watch, well aware that there was quite a bit of time left until Patty would arrive to pick up her belongings.

“Looks like we still have time”, the professor said, a hint of mischief in her eyes and smile, “what do you say, shall we put the couch to good use one last time?”

Holtzmann’s response was immediate and made Erin squeal in delight - she grasped the physicist around the waist, then turned and let herself drop backwards, ending up sitting on said couch with Erin in her lap, the redhead giving her another smile before she kissed her deeply, hands already moving to her belt. 

They had been dating for almost seven months now, and despite Holtzmann’s initial worries, things were still going as well as they had at the beginning - and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, sometimes to the chagrin of their friends, their desire and passion for each other still burning as brightly as it had when they had met.

And at this point, Holtzmann doubted that it ever would lessen; sometimes, all Erin had to do was give her a  _ look _ to get her motor going, and as she felt the physicist open her pants now, her hips already twitched, her obvious need making Erin smile slightly.

“And here I thought you’d be tired”, the professor almost purred, her tone sending shivers up and down the younger woman’s spine, “but it seems like you have quite the energy still left, hm?”

“Possibly”, Holtzmann gave back, somehow managing to keep a tremble out of her voice and even to sound a bit challenging as she went on, “are you planning to do something about that?”

Erin raised an eyebrow in response, a look Holtzmann knew well by now, and one which sent a jolt straight to her core; then, the professor smiled, a small, but somewhat wolfish smile, and slid off Holtzmann’s lap, ending up on her knees in front of the blonde, and prompting her to flash back to the day they officially had gotten together. 

She had taken a leap of faith back then, she knew, going against all experiences she ever had made with relationships; and it had paid off, was still paying off, she thought to herself as Erin pulled down her pants, already groaning before the physicist even touched her, her lust only increasing when Erin looked up at her and their eyes met. 

“You’ve worked so hard, packing all these things up”, Erin said, with another wolfish smile, “you deserve a reward for that. Open your legs for me, Holtz.”

Holtzmann gladly did so, and apparently, Erin was all too aware that their time was not unlimited, as she went to work fast and hard, and Holtzmann forgot all about moving and packing, shuddering and moaning beneath the other woman’s skilled fingers and tongue, hips twitching and her fingers holding on tight to the couch, and between her legs, Erin smiled to herself in smug satisfaction. 

* * *

“You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, huh?” Erin looked somewhat exasperated as she approached Holtzmann’s bike that was parked behind her apartment.

_ Their  _ apartment.

It had been 48 hours since Holtzmann had moved in, and that time was spent unpacking, organizing, and christening nearly every surface in their adobe. She blushed slightly remembering how she’d used the kitchen table for leverage when she slammed into Holtzmann from behind, the blonde screaming her name and…

“Patience my little sunflower. You’ll see.”

After a long weekend settling in, Holtzmann had suggested a date night on Sunday, a chance to relax and enjoy one another before what was most likely a long work week. Erin had enthusiastically agreed, but was frustrated by the fact her girlfriend refused to tell her what they were doing. She raised an eyebrow at the bulging saddlebags on the side of Holtzmann’s bike, wondering when she had found the chance to sneak out and pack them.

As she often did, the biker seemed to sense what Erin was thinking. “I did it when you were in the shower, serenading the skin care products with your repertoire of The Carpenter’s greatest hits.” 

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” Erin mumbled as she accepted the helmet Holtzmann offered to her, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

“It’s adorable. And you have a nice singing voice.” Holtzmann leaned in to place a kiss on Erin’s cheek before she put her helmet on. “Now let’s get a move-on my precious cupcake, we’re kinda on a time-table.”

* * *

It had taken a little over two hours, and Erin’s thighs were starting to chafe, and her back hurt, but when Holtzmann finally stopped her bike, it was all worth it.

“Fire Island,” Holtzmann said with excitement in her voice. “It’s been awhile since I’ve visited, but I always loved riding out here when I could. It helped clear my head when I felt overwhelmed.” The blonde flashed Erin a bright smiled as she slid off her bike. “Grab a saddlebag Er, we don’t want to waste any time.”

Erin looked at the scene in front of her. They were on the shoreline, a sandy beach just a short walk away. The beach was almost deserted, it being a day in late fall. Erin secured her helmet to the back of the bike and grabbed the remaining saddlebag, grasping the hand Holtzmann offered as they headed toward the ocean.

“It’s beautiful out here.” Erin enjoyed the feeling of sand underneath her feet as they walked toward the water, Holtzmann stopping in an area close to the shore, but not nearly close enough to risk getting splashed by the incoming waves.

“Help me with the blanket babe.” Holtzmann pulled out a worn, red blanket from one of the saddlebags, unrolling it so it could be spread on the sand below.

“That’s the same blanket you brought on our first date. Well, I guess it wasn’t a date. It was just a precursor to some mind-blowing sex and -”

“It was a date,” Holtzmann interrupted with a wistful smile as she began to unpack the saddlebags. “I didn’t want to admit it to myself at the time. I mean, a hot professor and a scruffy biker like me? Who would’ve thunk?”

Erin kneeled down on the blanket and kissed Holtzmann on the nose. “Who would’ve thunk indeed.”

Once the contents of the saddlebags were revealed, Erin giggled.

“Holtzmann, these are the exact same things you brought on our first picnic date. Even the damn Pringles.”

The blonde popped the top of the tube of chips and tossed two in her mouth. “Sure you don’t want any Er-Bear?” Holtzmann asked between chews.

“You know I am resolute in my distaste for those things.”

“Suit yourself.” Holtzmann grabbed Erin by the waist to pull her into a wet, sloppy kiss, the physicist groaning at the salty taste on Holtzmann’s tongue. In response, Erin play slapped the blonde’s shoulders, both women falling on their backs onto the blanket in a fit of laughter.

The couple spent the next hour lazily consuming the spread Holtzmann had brought, drinking wine out of the two plastic cups that had been tucked into the saddlebags (“glasses break Erin, this wonderful biodegradable material does not”). When the sun’s descent toward the horizon became more apparent, Holtzmann sat upright. 

“Ah, the main event. Snuggle up to me Er. The sunset from here is incredible.”

Erin put her empty cup down on the blanket and scooted close to the younger woman, Holtzmann wrapping her arm around her shoulder while she rested her head on Holtzmann’s chest. Erin grasped one of the blonde’s hands as they watched the sunset in front of them in silence. When there was still enough light so they could see each other’s faces, Holtzmann shifted slightly to face her girlfriend.

“I love you,” Holtzmann murmured before capturing Erin’s lips in a soft, passionate kiss.

They had said the words to one another countless times over the last three months, once it became apparent their relationship was more than casually dating, more than sex. Erin never got sick of hearing the younger woman tell her that, still somewhat in disbelief that she could ever be loved the way Holtzmann loved her.

For whatever reason, with the sun setting, a half finished bottle of wine in the sand next to them, and Holtzmann’s leather clad arm curling around her shoulder, protecting her from the chill, this time meant the most of all.

Erin traced a finger down the blonde’s cheek before leaning in to return the kiss.  
  
“I love you too Holtzmann.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this one was short but sweet (for us), but we had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks to everyone who read/commented - y'all are the best.
> 
> Seatbelts for out next collab... *innocent whistling*


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